


Liminal

by ghost_writer_96



Category: Twilight (Movies), Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: F/M, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, POV Original Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-09-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:16:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26490256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghost_writer_96/pseuds/ghost_writer_96
Summary: A few things seemed unfair to Collins Walker: one, that her parents are moving to Europe without her. Two, that she's now moving 3,000 miles away to live with her ornery sister. And three, that her gorgeous Calculus tutor acts like she's the gum stuck to the bottom of his shoe. The list of weird things going on, like how said tutor never eats? Well, that'd need a whole book.
Relationships: Jasper Hale/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 18





	1. new beginnings

Chapter 1: new beginnings

If you had told me that I would be finishing up the last half of my senior year at a high school on the other side of the country, I would've laughed in your face. If you then explained that I would be living with my sister, the antithesis of myself, well then I'd plum fall on the floor. And if you said it was because my father had received a promotion that would cause he and my mother to move _outside_ of the country...let's be real. I wouldn't have believed any of it.

But there I was, in the passenger seat of my sister's car, the backseat and trunk stuffed with all of my belongings. We'd been driving for two days already, staying in sketchy motels when neither of us could stay at a safe level of coherence. I wondered how much worse it would be to just lean the seat back and try to sleep that way. But there was too much stuff behind me, so it was sleezy stays until we reached the West coast. Cara hardly let me drive at all, even when her eyes involuntarily started to drift shut. She had the notion that my driving was terrible and I'd manage to get us both killed, but that couldn't be further from the truth. I drove just fine.

When I wasn't driving, which was the majority of the time, I tried to occupy myself with a book or my phone. But the cell reception was spotty at best and all of my books had been read at least three times over, if not more. There wasn't much to do other than stare out the window and admire the scenery. Well, if you could call it that. Miles upon miles of field or forest, each one looking identical to the last. The only indicator that we weren't driving in circles was the little towns that we passed through here and there for food, sleep, and potty breaks. But even they were starting to look the same. Thank God we hadn't taken the scenic route.

The sun was starting to set just to the left of our course, streaking various shades of red, orange, and pink across the sky. At least the sunsets were beautiful. I could tell that Cara would want to stop soon. She'd been driving all day, minus the hour or so around lunch that she had relinquished the wheel to eat a cheeseburger. She wouldn't have much juice left.

"Hungry?"

It was the first word she'd spoken in hours. Who knew how loud silence could be until you had to endure a day of it? My stomach gave a feeble growl at the thought of food.

"Gettin' there," I huffed, still eyeing the scarlet light bouncing off a few wispy clouds.

"We'll stop at the next town and get something there. Then turn in early so we can get a jump on the day tomorrow."

This trip was taking a lot longer than it needed to and Cara knew it as well as I did. She was smart, having graduated two years ahead of her peers. Why was she so hell bent and determined to not let me drive more than 60 miles on open road?

We were close to some type of town now. A few signs rushed to meet us as we shot down the highway. One of them advertised a diner on Main Street, promising cobbler and hamburger steak.

"Let's eat there," I motioned to the raggedy billboard as we passed it. I was getting a little tired of fast food. Cara nodded and turned off the highway onto a local road, making our way to downtown at a much slower pace. A couple of cars lined the sidewalk in front of the little shops around the heart of the town. The quaintness of it all reminded me of home. A barber shop here, a boutique there. And then the diner I'd seen the sign for, Rodge's. It looked to be the busiest place in town. Only a few spots remained open, farthest from the door.

Cara pulled in and brought the car to a stop. How wonderful it felt to stretch my legs, no, _my whole body!_ I reached to the sky, eyes closed and arms spread wide. There was just the slightest bit of warm from the sun now, almost undetectable due to the winter chill. Man, back at home it had barely dropped below 50.

Inside the diner, it was like the sixties had thrown up everywhere. Checkered floors, vinyl booths with stuffing poking out, and formica table tops to boot. Behind the bar were old fashioned sundae bowls and baby blue and pink tile. Kind of reminded me of the old Winn-Dixie back in Alabama. One booth remained open in the far corner. Cara and I slid- well, scooted- in on opposite sides and began looking over the menu. A nice plate of chicken fingers called my name.

"I'm ready to be back in Washington," Cara rubbed her eyes hard before blinking several times. The lines around her mouth were more noticeable than usual. She was only 30, way too young to be developing frown lines. I wondered if she was using the moisturizer I had recommend a month ago. A waitress appeared at our table, notepad and pen at the ready.

"What can I get you ladies," her words were more of a statement than a question. She didn't bother to look at either one of us.

"Um, I'll have the chicken finger plate with fries and honey mustard, please. And a Dr. Pepper."

I so could have used a large sweet tea right now but highly doubted it would be available anywhere this far from the Mason-Dixon. She'd probably think I wanted hot tea with a lemon slice. No thanks.

Cara ordered a salad and water for herself. Much healthier than what I'd gotten. I could worry about carb and sugar intake once we'd made it to Forks. For now, it almost felt like a vacation. Like we were in this liminal space between my old home and my new home. A _boring_ vacation perhaps, but once we had everything settled, it would all become too real. I'd hold on to this feeling as long as I could.

The diner was slowly emptying out as we waited for our food. Couples trickled out to the parking lot that was now lit only by the neon sign and the lights off of Main Street. There were only a few occupied tables left: a family of three, some girls my age that kept laughing at what each other said, and a booth of what looked like construction workers. They'd probably be the next to leave, judging by their empty plates. The silence between my sister and I stretched out like a sea of choppy water. Sometimes it was hard to figure out the right words to say to Cara. This was one of those times.

"I bet your chicken fingers are holding up the order," she sighed, throwing me an exasperated look. Of course it was my fault our order hadn't been ready immediately.

"Sorry," I half mumbled, not wanting to meet her eyes. "Why don't you let me drive tonight while you sleep? We would get back a lot faster."

Cara sighed loudly.

"No. I don't want you driving so late at night, especially with me asleep."

I sipped on my Dr. Pepper slowly, again at a loss for the appropriate things to say that wouldn't make her anymore irritated than she already seemed. I hated the tension between my sister and I that seemed to spring up out of nowhere. Ten years apart and we still didn't get along the best. Thankfully, our waitress picked that moment to set down a bowl of sad leafy greens and a hot plate of freshly fried chicken. My stomach gave a much stronger rumble than earlier. I dug in, not bothering that the tenders burned the ends of my fingers as well as my tongue.

"Try and hurry so we can find a place to stay before it gets too late."

Cara had the unique ability of acting like a bossy mother rather than an older sister. My parents always said it was because she cared about me and felt responsible for my safety. I think she just liked the power. It's why she insisted on treating me like her baby sister, not younger sister. But this time, she did have somewhat of a point. The sun was completely set and night in an unfamiliar town was not where two young women needed to be alone. My eyes wandered around the diner, peeking at the other patrons, our waitress leaned against the bar with a bored look on her face, and the little patterns on the speckled tabletop. The Elvis themed clock above the bathrooms read seven 'o' clock.

* * *

NO VACANCY

The neon letters shone like a beacon. No, that wasn't quite right. Beacons were hopeful, good signs. This was an omen. A bad one.

Cara heaved a large, dramatic sigh and slammed her door shut for the third time. This was the last motel for another fifty or so miles. Sleeping in the car started to sound like our only option. I saw the look in my sister's eyes. The look of defeat, of _knowing_ she would have to give in and let me behind the wheel for a couple of hours while she caught up on sleep. There was no way she could make it another minute on the road. Her fingers drummed anxiously on the steering wheel, before yanking the door open.

"Come on," she grumbled. I hopped out of the car and hurriedly ran to the driver's side, practically throwing myself into the car. Cara's eyelids were already drooping as I buckled my seat belt and started the car. By the time it was in drive, her head rested on the center console. Not the most comfortable sleeping position, but it would do for now. I settled my hand on her hair and gave it a little ruffle. Cara didn't respond with anything more than a light snore. A surge of ache, like my chest was tightening around my heart, shot through my body. So that was how she had been feeling. Cara reminded me a lot of Darry from The Outsiders. And I guess I could be a lot like Ponyboy and Sodapop. I was smart, but not always practical. With me, Cara saw the world from the perspective of a responsible adult. And I, the curious, reckless kid sister that would undoubtedly forget to put my head on in the morning if it wasn't attached to my body already. I guess I could cut her some slack, though that worked both ways. I wasn't nearly as ditsy as she made me out to be.

The full moon illuminated the sky just enough to see the silhouette of foothills and mountains on either side of the road. Instead of lush green grass like back at home, the side of the road was littered with scrubby brush and hard baked sand. I thought any second, some wild animal would spring out in front of my headlights.

There it was again. That liminal feeling. Like walking around a school at night or stopping to pee at a rest stop in the middle of nowhere. It was like time had halted and the only real part of the world was everything I could see with my own eyes. Cara's cramped car, filled to the brim with my stuff. The heavy silence that felt like another person in the car. I started thinking about what was waiting for us at the end of our trip. For Cara, we were just heading back home. For me, I was about to be surrounded by complete strangers in the most unfamiliar place. The more logical part of my brain assured me that starting a new school in a new town wasn't all that unusual and people did it all the time without any issues. But I'd never done it. And if I had planned to, that plan would have included my parents being there, too. The rest of my brain, the more emotional part, had spun this whole fantasy about what life would be like from here on out. Maybe I'd have a life like something out of a romance novel where the main character is this soft, pastel pink vibing girl that sits in coffee shops and sips caramel macchiatos while reading her newest find from the thrift bookstore from down the road. That's how I imagined it anyway.

But with each westbound mile we gained, that light, dreamy feeling slipped away, replaced by the more concrete reality of my situation.

I was going to live with my sister in Forks, Washington, the most dreary place in existence.


	2. arrival

Chapter 2: arrival

Last night's sunset had blazed across the sky in a fury of orange and red. This morning, the sunrise sheepishly crept over the horizon. The color changed from deep blue to orange and yellow in the span of an hour. Now, the bright blue almost hurt to look at, it was so dazzling. The white fluffy clouds looked like perfect tuffs of cotton candy. I kind of liked driving at this time of day. Hardly anyone was on the road, giving me time to think through all the different scenarios of what I'd find in roughly twelve hours. I'd seen pictures of Cara's house, so it wasn't too hard to imagine. But the image of my sister and I living there together made it dissolve. I couldn't make it stay in my mind very long.

At some point during the night, Cara had propped herself against the window, her face pressed up onto the glass. Her breath fogged it up in little puffs every few seconds. Good to know she was still alive. I thought about waking her once the sun was up, but decided not to. If she could stay asleep in that position for that long, then she really needed the rest. Now that the light shone brightly into the silent car, it was a matter of time before she awoke completely.

"Collins."

Cara's voice always sounded softer in the morning, right after getting up. It was like she was too out of it to be angry or upset with anything. Or anyone.

"Still right here, driving just fine," I smiled. She groaned in response. We didn't have much farther to go, if my estimate was correct.

"Pull over at the next gas station so I can grab some coffee and we'll switch places."

I'd had my fill of driving. My adrenaline rush had completely worn off about an hour ago, and it was my turn to crash in the passenger seat for a while. Thankfully, the next gas station was only a few miles out. We'd be there in no time.

* * *

_Dad wasn't going to get the promotion, I just knew it. Not because he wasn't a competent engineer or a hard worker, but because things like that just didn't happen to our family. Other people, but not us. Nothing that exciting ever happened._

_My phone had beeped loudly in the middle of history class, my least favorite. Mr. Garner had a no tolerance policy for cell phones, no exceptions. It was only a matter of time before he would find the culprit and exact punishment. I reached for my phone and hastily opened it to see the one sentence I was sure wouldn't reach my phone._

**Promo went thru! Moving 2 Euro!**

_I couldn't believe it. They were going to Europe, and I was being shipped off to live with a sister I'd hardly seen in ten years. The walls of the school could have tumbled down on all sides and I probably wouldn't have noticed. I sure didn't notice Mr. Garner asking for my phone until he grabbed it from my hand._

_"Is...everything okay?" I must have looked like my best friend just died, because Mr. Garner NEVER showed mercy when it came to phones. He thought they were the downfall of civilization and the bane of his existence. I only imagined what my face looked like as I slowly nodded._

_"Then you can sit in after school detention this afternoon. See me after the last bell."_

_It was a blessing in disguised to receive detention that day. Weird, I know, but without it, I probably wouldn't have had time to formulate the appropriate response to my father's success. Of course I was happy for him and my mother. This was precisely the position he'd been working twenty years to land. And with the starting bonus, they could retire peacefully and still have a little left over. Mom probably wouldn't have to work when they hopped across the pond._

_But_ Europe? _And_ Forks?

_They were suited for France about as well as I was suited for Washington: not._

_But when I got home, it was all smiles. Neither of them even realized that I had been over forty five minutes late in getting home. There was too much to discuss about moving for both parties._

_"Can't you just come live with me?" My best friend, Bethany, whined on the last day of school before Christmas break. My last day of school in Alabama, period. I'm sure I could have convinced my parents to let me finish out the next semester at home_ somehow. _But that plan required a lot of selfish dialogue, possibly wailing and gnashing of teeth. I couldn't tarnish their joy like that. Maybe Cara, but not me._

_"You'll have to call me the minute you arrive, and then every week after that so we can gossip. I refuse to let you become my ex best friend."_

_That was only the second time Bethany had seen me cry, aside from the day Pascal, my favorite cat in the whole world, got snake bit and died. She'd been there to cheer me up then too, trying to take my mind off of it. But there was nothing that could help now because the harder she tried to make me laugh, the harder I cried. I'd miss Bethany's stupid made up songs and her loud mouth. The way she didn't care if guys thought she played too many sports or was a little too good at burping her ABCs. Her affinity for hot wings._

* * *

"Collins, wake up."

I had been right in the middle of a dream about tornadoes when Cara shook my shoulder hard enough that I opened my eyes. The little interior light above my head made me recoil.

"What time is it?" I mumbled, my voice thick from sleep. The sky was pitch black and we were parked somewhere, though I couldn't make out where quite yet. Cara had her door open and was halfway out of the car.

"Almost one. We're home."

Ugh, what a sick joke. Okay maybe that was a little dramatic, but the icy breeze cutting through my long sleeve cotton shirt sure didn't feel like home. I couldn't imagine a time where I had felt colder. It did wake me up and set me to moving though. My whole body shivered as we started unloading the car. Couldn't this wait till morning? My hands were quickly becoming less responsive with each bag I removed from the trunk. Before long, I'd be a snowman, right there in the driveway.

I glanced at Cara's house-well, I guess it was mine too. The pale blue paint on the cottage style home was starting to peel in various places. A few pieces of porch furniture sat to the side of the door, rusty and neglected. The hedges looked just plain sad at this time of year. If I tried really hard, I could almost imagine that we were in some small south Alabamian town and that Cara had never moved away, just out. Mom and Dad would be just a few miles away, soundly asleep in their beds. But then the wind gave a sharp gust, and I knew that was a lie.

We managed to get all of my clothes in before Cara called it quits. We could get the rest tomorrow, when it wasn't so dark. I was totally fine with that. My hands had gone almost completely numb, making the task of carrying the huge garbage bags upstairs a difficult one.

"We'll have to get you some warmer clothes. Maybe when Mom and Dad drop your car off in a few days, we can all go to Port Angeles." She glanced up and down at my thin shirt and worn out tennis shoes.

"Sounds like a plan."

We said our good nights and went to our separate rooms. Mine was just after the stairs, to the left. I stood in the doorway for just a second to take all of it in. The walls were a light sea green and completely bare, except for a calendar hanging above the dark desk in the corner. The bed-my bed- was an old, metal frame with a firm mattress and a worn out yellow comforter that had seen better days. Add another thing to my Seattle shopping list. The only other furniture was a night stand and dresser, both matching the des,k and a space heater, probably older than me. Everything was arranged as far away as possible from one another to maximize the space in the small room.

I reached for the bag that was labelled 'lounge wear' and pulled out a threadbare pair of sweatpants. They weren't exactly Northern winter approved, but it beat sleeping in jeans or shorts. I cranked up the heather, knowing that the HVAC unit wouldn't warm up nearly as quickly as I wanted. The place was freezing, how could I sleep like that?

The cool sheets created chill bumps all over my legs and arms as I slid into bed. It smelt like dust and laundry detergent. I was hardly tired from all the sleeping on the drive today. My mind started racing through images of people back home and the places I'd miss.

The barbecue shack that looked straight from an episode of Criminal Minds, but had the best pulled pork sandwiches in the entire state. The ice cream shop downtown that my friends and I frequented so much, they'd probably let us scoop our own orders. The little church downtown that held forty members of the congregation on a good day, but had been the place you'd find me every Sunday, in the third row between my parents and the little kids, trying to keep them from putting chewing gum in the hymnals.

And then it was the people.

The librarian at my old school that always took my book recommendations seriously, and even ordered books for the library based on them. Ms Charlotte, our neighbor that loved to bring a pie or some Johnny cake over every once in a while. My friends, that would probably forget about me once school got rolling again.

I knew that wasn't the truth, but my brain had taken a turn off of Depression Drive and was headed straight down Sorrow Street. Everything felt like it'd happened so fast. One day, I was sitting in Physics, thinking about how nice it was to be sitting next to our first string quarterback and contemplating whether asking him to prom would be social suicide. The next, I was across the country, in a foreign house, in a foreign bed.

 _It'll be a miracle if I manage to fall asleep,_ I thought.

Mom and Dad would be in town before school started, but only for a day. After, they'd fly out to their new lives. I almost didn't want them to come because when they did, it'd be the last time I saw them for months, maybe a year. It also mean that the semester was starting, and I'd have to go to school again. In a town this small, there was no way I'd get by undetected. At least they were bringing my car with them. I had insisted on driving it myself, but they insisted on that not happening at all.

The rain started falling against the roof and in seconds, I couldn't remember what exactly I'd been thinking about. I wiped my eyes with my sleeve and tried to roll over into a comfortable position. Sound enough, my lids wouldn't stay open and my mind no longer thought clearly. In minutes, I was out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hi readers :D If you've seen my profile, you'll know that I never envisioned myself writing Twilight fanfiction. However, after reading the books for the first time and watching the movies, I've found myself imaging all of these alternative plot lines and ideas. The Twilight Renaissance is in full swing!
> 
> I love feedback on my writing so that I can improve. If you have the time and the notion, please leave a review! I read them all. If you have any criticism, please keep it constructive. I know that my chapters aren't perfect and can always be better, but no one likes a jerk.
> 
> Stay safe and don't catch Corona.


	3. town tour

Chapter 3: town tour

The first thing on Cara's agenda at 8:30 in the morning was to finish unpacking the car. The weather outside had warmed up compared to last night, but barely. Something about rearranging my room while wearing a sweater and jeans just didn't sit right with me. I should be in Nike shorts and an old Beta club t-shirt, but then I'd probably freeze to death. Who knew you could fit so much stuff in a Nissan Sentra?

Outside, I got a better look at everything in the light. The most fitting word I could use to describe our street was _quaint_. All the houses had the same coastal look, like something out of Cap Cod. At least two were on the market. I guess there weren't hoards of people looking to move to Forks. Our house wasn't the only one chipping paint, though it did seem to be a part of the better kept ones. Surrounding our street was a dense expanse of forest, likely due to all the heavy rain fall. It was so _green_. The grass, the spruces, firs, hemlock, and pine. Back home, it was less forest and more woods. Lots of brown and yellow. But at least it was something. Far at the end of the street sat a rusty red Chevy. That was familiar too, seeing really old trucks parked in front yards.

Halfway up the stairs for the third time, I seriously considered taking whatever was left in the car and dropping it off at a Salvation Army or local mission. Cara sure didn't help the situation either, always bossing where I should put things. Thank God I wouldn't have to share a bathroom with her because I'm pretty sure we'd end up strangling each other.

Once the last box was placed in the corner, it was all a matter of unpacking everything. My clothes alone would take the better part of an hour. I started a heap of things that I couldn't or wouldn't wear anymore and made a note to take them downtown and sell them if I could. There had to be at least a huge garbage bag full, if not more.

By lunch time, I'd managed to hang up and fold all the clothing I was willing to keep and that would fit in the small closet. About half of my belongings were in their rightful place while the rest of them still remained in boxes. If I wasn't starting school in a couple of days, I could have cooled it on the unpacking frenzy and done a little at a time. But the last thing I needed was more stress. I hated unpacking though; a box of sketching paper and a new package of pencils that I had yet to tryout had nearly stopped me in my tracks. There were so many things to draw here, so many plants and leaves and tree fronds that would look beautiful with a little charcoal shading.

_Focus on the task at hand, Collins._

I tried to look extra busy when Cara poked her head into the doorway. She'd been catching up on work from over the holidays and had secluded herself to the living room for the better part of the morning.

"If you can get ready in 30 minutes, we'll grab something at the diner in town, and maybe go on a little tour."

Cara was in a good mood today, probably less stressed now that there wasn't a mountain of paperwork for her to do and her sleep schedule would soon be back to normal.

"Yeah just let me shower real quick."

Okay, to be honest, there'd never been anything 'quick' about my showers. I just loved the hot water too much. But really, who would care if I skipped shaving my legs? perhaps the extra hair would fight off the ever-present chill. God, it felt like forever since I had showered somewhere besides a motel bathroom. There were no questionable pieces of hair clinging to the tub or curtain and the towels smelt clean. I wrapped a fluffy one around me and twisted my hair up in another. Most of my makeup was still put away, but I was able to throw on some concealer and mascara to look reasonably human. I pulled on my thickest jeans and warmest sweater. My tall boots were more fashionable than practical, so that was another thing to grab on our trip when Mom and Dad came in.

* * *

There wasn't a whole lot to Forks: some shops downtown, a post office, police station, a Methodist church, and a gas station.

 _Just like home,_ I thought. It seemed there were a lot of similarities between my hometown and here. If only I tried to look for them. _Stop thinking about your old home. It's a little too late for that._

Last night, just as I was drifting off, I'd promised myself not to dwell on my life in Alabama anymore. There was no point in making the transition any more difficult than it needed to be. Easier said than done, but I at least had to try.

The diner sat sandwiched between a barber shop and antique store. A string of bells jingled every time the door opened. That was a good sign. The restaurant was right in the middle of a lunch rush, but we were able to find a table by the window. The menus looked like they'd seen better days, probably sometime around the eighties. Another promising sign.

"That's the chief of police and his daughter, Bella, sitting to our left. For God's sake, don't _stare_ at them," Cara hissed the last few words at my blatant disregard for social etiquette.

"I didn't mean to," I said indignantly. "Besides, he's watching TV and she's not looking this way either."

Still, I snuck a less conspicuous glance their way after a few minutes. The chief looked like such a dad. His eyes were locked on the football game as he lifted bites of steak to his mouth. Bella was staring off into space, at what, I had no idea. I figured she was daydreaming. I drew my attention back to the menu and scanned for something that sounded appetizing. So much for eating healthier here. I could always start that later.

The waitress was insanely sweet, unlike the last time we'd eaten at a diner. She had that small town charm and seemed to recognize my sister. In just under fifteen minutes, she was bringing our food out, as well as a refill on drinks. I'd barely dug into my mashed potatoes when I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. Chief Swan had approached our table, his daughter just a few steps behind him.

"Hi Charlie, hey Bella. Just finishing up lunch?" Cara greeted them politely. Charlie grinned real wide and threw an arm around Bella's shoulders.

"Yup, nothing much has changed since you left. Glad to see your back in town with your...?"

I felt my face heat up as three sets of eyes landed on me. Hopefully there wasn't any gravy on my chin or a green bean stuck in my hair. Stranger things had happened.

"Collins, she's my sister," Cara supplied for him. "She'd gonna be staying with me for the rest of the school year while my parents travel for work. You'll have to keep an eye out for her." I couldn't help but roll my eyes. I was already eighteen and fully capable of looking after myself, even in an unfamiliar place.

"Well, maybe she and Bella can spend some time together. You a senior?"

I hastily swallowed a mouthful of Dr. Pepper and regretted it as my esophagus felt like a balloon was trapped inside.

"Yes sir," I smiled. Wow, my accent seemed so much more prominent here. "I'll be starting as soon as school is back in session."

"Good, good. You two might have some classes together then," he directed the last sentence at Bella, who started to look just the slightest bit uncomfortable. She just kind of shrugged her shoulders and smiled, though it came across as more of a grimace. I bet she would be an interesting read.

"I reckon we'll leave you to it. Nice meeting you, Collins. Cara," he waved and both of them turned to the door. Bella hadn't said a word the whole time. I wondered if Forks was a clique-ish town because I'd definitely not gotten that impression for my sister. It seemed too small to even have cliques. I stabbed another piece of hamburger steak and bit into it. The gravy had just the right amount of salt. Cara cleared her throat and eyed the door until it jingled.

"Charlie's a nice guy. His daughter is too, she just...I don't know. I can't figure her out," she huffed and waved her hand theatrically. Cara had a habit of psychoanalyzing everyone, not just her patients. I hated when she did that to me, but it was kind of fun to try it on other people. I imagined I could be good at it too, but that was probably due to my unfair advantage.

"She's probably just quiet," I mused. Nothing wrong with that. Cara hesitated to agree.

"I don't know, every since she started dating one of the Cullen boys, it's like she's on a whole other planet when I talk to her."

"Who's Cullen?"

"Dr. Cullen is the head doctor at the hospital. He's absolutely brilliant to be so young. I work with some of his patients in the psych ward. He and his wife adopted a couple kids, and one of them is dating Bella. The whole family is very well mannered, but they're a little...odd. Kind of standoffish. Just my opinion though."

Cara had a tendency to think that a lot of normal people were weird. I had a tendency to take her opinion with a grain of salt.

"Oh, that's nice of them to adopt. I'll probably seem them in class too."

After eating, we made a quick trip by the school so I'd know how to get there. It wasn't too difficult, mostly just a straight shot from the house. The school wasn't much bigger than the one I'd left, though it did have several more buildings, each spaced out evenly across campus. The front office was surrounded by neat little shrubs and still had a festive wreath on the door. How cute.

* * *

The days between arriving at Forks and Mom and Dad showing up kind of ran together. By day two, everything had a place in my room and every cardboard box had been stacked in the garage for storage purposes. I'd started reading books to pass the time, since I didn't have my car yet and Cara was not about to let me joy ride around with hers while she was at work. After restocking the fridge and pantry, I had enough food to snack on mindlessly. And still, I ate a tomato sandwich more often than not, with a glass of homemade sweet tea because the bottle stuff just tasted soured to me.

The Sunday before school started, my parents rode up on a white horse, at seven sharp. Well, it was actually a white Camry, but who cared? I was just happy to have my wheels back. And, well, my parents, even if it were only for a day.

"Wow," was the first thing my mom said when she stepped through the front door. "I knew your house was big but not this big."

I was pretty large for just two people, though I wouldn't complain about that.

"I guess that psychology did pay off," was what Dad said. I thought for sure that Cara would have something biting to say back, but she simply pulled them into a hug before shooing them out of the door again.

"We've got a long day ahead of us, so let's not dither. I don't want to be late to the airport because you guys didn't have enough time to buy Collins a full wardrobe."

Mom and I took the back seat, though I knew she would get car sick if she weren't careful. She looked as radiant as ever, with her freshly highlighted hair and red lipstick. I wished my hair was still that color naturally.

"What do you think of Forks so far?" She desperately wanted a pleasant answer. I didn't need to read her emotions to know that.

"Um, I'm not sure yet. I haven't gotten the opportunity to see all of it like I want. But what I have seen seems very nice. I met the chief of police and his daughter the other day." There, that would be sufficient.

"Oh good! Those are nice connections to have," she replied cheerfully, before pushing a stray piece of hair behind my ear like she always did. That was all it took. Excitement, nerves, guilt. It all came flooding over me with the smallest amount of physical touch. Excitement and nervousness about getting to move to France, guilt because I was being left with a sister that would have preferred I not move in and disturb her way of life. Mom's emotions were so predictable, but they still affected me like everyone else's.

Dad reached for the radio dial and surfed for something to listen to.

_Several more bodies have been found, bringing the total count up to five. The gruesome acts of violence beg the question: rabid animal, or organized gangs?_

"Christ, they still haven't found the people responsible for those deaths you were telling us about?" Dad asked incredulously. Cara simply shook her head, her lips thin and white over her teeth. "Well, I don't want you two in Seattle until they catch the people responsible. This world has gone crazy as a bed bug."

"That was one good thing about Andalusia. Never heard about gang violence," Mom tsked from my side.

"But they said it could have been an animal," I insisted, though I wasn't too sure myself.

Cara snorted humorlessly.

"Have you _seen_ the photos of the crime scenes? I don't think there's an animal in Washington capable of that kind of torture," she scoffed.

"Let's talk about something a little happier," Mom suggested. Always the peacemaker. So the conversation turned to their move to Europe and the details that surrounded that: their new apartment, Dad's new job, and a rough outline for when we'd see them again. Mom insisted that we all spend a week in France come summer time. My mind instantly filled with images of croissants and creme brulee. Before long, I had a very elaborate daydream planned out of how I'd spend my week sipping coffee and eating as many carbs as my body could handle. All I had to do was endure a couple months of endless clouds

By the time we neared the port, a nice sprinkling of rain had popped up directly over head. First thing to shop for: a durable rain jacket and extra large umbrella. My old jacket was merely water resistant, and Lord knows, that wouldn't hold up to Fork's-grade storms. As it turns out, we weren't the only people with the idea to shop for clothes before school started back. Nearly all of the stores were bustling with shoppers wanting to return or exchange ill-fitting Christmas presents or spend gift cards. A lot of them looked to be around my age, and I tried to picture a few in my classes. Something about the picture didn't fit right. I still felt like a tourist on holiday with her family, though my family would rather commit all seven deadly sins than be away from home on any major holiday. It used to drive Cara absolutely crazy.

Mom and I found ourselves alone between racks of jeans and chunky sweaters. I'd already acquired a nice armful of long sleeve shirts, layering tank tops, thick socks, and a pair of boots. Cara and Dad were somewhere, either arguing politics or discussing baseball stats. It could never be anywhere in the middle with them, but that's how they'd always been. I held up a cute blue and white striped sweater that felt particularly soft and showed it to mom.

"Definitely get that one. And this too," she pointed out a mossy green waffle knit shirt with lace at the ends of the sleeves. Mom loved to shop as much as I did, and we got on a roll, there was no stopping us.

"So have you been by the school yet? Are you nervous?"

"Cara took me by the other day. It doesn't seem too bad, but I won't really know until tomorrow. People move schools all the time," I shrugged and took the green shirt she offered. I tried my best to sound excited, or at the very least, indifferent, about being in Forks. And too be honest, it wasn't all that hard when I thought about it like a new adventure. The only think that interrupted that adventure were all the texts I'd been getting from my friends. School wouldn't start back in Andalusia for another week, and I felt like the odd woman out.

"Thank you for taking this as easily as you have. It means a lot to me, and I know it means the world to your father. Your sister hasn't exactly shared your enthusiasm," Mom quirked her eyebrow and toyed with a delicate Aspen leaf necklace. There's this rule about having siblings: no matter how much you guys don't get along, you _always_ defend each other around the parents. No exceptions.

"I think she's just been stressed about work. Sounds like she missed a lot to move me all the way out here. She'll come around more once everything gets back into rhythm," I said, wanting to paint Cara in a more positive light.

"I know. You're probably right," Mom smiled and placed a navy blue felt hat atop my head before laughing. "Okay, you _have_ to get that hat. It's adorable."

Adorable was an overstatement until I adjusted it properly over my hair, which is a feat when you have several bags of clothes and a couple of hangers draped over both arms. It made my hair look blonder and my eyes bluer, something I usually only got from the salon and makeup. I typically wasn't a fan of hats, unless they were baseball caps, but Mom was right about this one. It's like it was made for my noggin'.

* * *

We finally found Cara and Dad at a sporting goods store just down the street, where I was able to snag a rain jacket suitable for hurricane level rain. My parents needed to be in Seattle by four for their flight out to Atlanta, so we stopped at a restaurant and had an early lunch before packing back into the car for the hours long drive. The rain had let up a while ago, and the sky had lightened just the slightest. With any luck, their flight wouldn't be delayed by the weather, though I selfishly hoped that they could stay just one more day with us before leaving indefinitely.

"We'll call as soon as we can and keep you updated until we reach France. I'll have to figure out this whole long distance calling thing with our phones," Dad pulled me into a tight hug and affectionately ruffled my hair. "Don't give your sister too much trouble, Collie."

God, I hated that nickname. But coming from my Dad right then, I wanted to bawl into his shoulder and beg for the both of them not to go. I bit my cheek until I tasted the saltiness of blood. I didn't want them to be the one thing to hold them back. Mom grabbed me next and squeezed me so tight that I gasped.

"I love you," she whispered in my ear.

"Love you more."

"Love you most."

She always beat me to the 'most' part. But as I watched her and Dad's backs disappear through the crowd of people and felt my stomach drop to the ground, I seriously debated if it weren't the other way around.


	4. first day of school

Chapter 4: first day of school

Time passed slowly up until Monday, but when it came, it seemed to all have been in a rush. Suddenly, I had to wake up at six 'o' clock and carry a backpack. All of my notebooks and and highlighters were color coded for each class and there was a fresh pack of my favorite pens just waiting to be used. School supply shopping was like cocaine and I, the willing addict.

The morning of my first day, the snooze button was pressed nary a time. Of all the days to sleep in, today wasn't it. Besides, I couldn't fall back asleep anyway. I was too wired, too anxious about being in a new school with new classes, full of new people that would hopefully not hate me. I wanted to put my best foot forward, preferably clad in a rain boot. After a nice shower and blow drying my hair, I felt a little more stable. I was having a good hair day, and my skin looked smooth for once. Perhaps the stars were aligning. Usually when I tried to keep my makeup simple and low key, it still looked over the top. So I forced my jittery hands to stop after filling in my eyebrows and applying generous coats of mascara and a lip tint.

I threw on one of my new sweaters, a pair of jeans, and the boots I'd gotten yesterday, along with my rain jacket. Dark grey clouds blanketed the sky outside the window, promising some amount of rain before the day ended.

Cara was sitting at the breakfast table by the time I made it down stairs, a bagel in one hand and the sport's section of the newspaper in the other. I grabbed an apple and took the chair opposite of her.

"Nervous about school," she asked without looking up. Her eyebrow quirked upwards, the one thing that all the women in the Walker family shared.

"A little," I admitted before biting into the apple. I really would have rather eaten a waffle with eggs and bacon, but my stomach didn't need anything else weighing it down. It had already dropped to the floor. I hated how sick I felt when I got nervous. It was so unnecessary.

"You'll be fine. Forks isn't much bigger student wise than back home. It is spaced out a little weird, though."

I nodded, chewing my breakfast slowly.

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna head out early so I can find my classes. I'll see you this afternoon." I tossed the core of my apple in the trash and went back upstairs to grab my book bag. There really was no reason to get to school a whole thirty minutes before the first bell, but it would make me feel a little better. Right as I shut the door of my car, rain started falling in big, fat drops over the windshield. _Here we go._

I noticed a silver Volvo at the Swan's house as I drove past, most likely belonging to that Cullen guy Cara had mentioned. I really hated driving in the rain, though there was no escaping it here. Thankfully, not many cars were on the road yet, and the school was only a couple of miles north. I could drive slow and still get there in plenty of time.

The student lot sat in the back of campus, mostly empty this early in the morning. The rain calmed to a drizzle by the time my car rolled to a stop in one of the spaces nearest to the office. I shrugged on my new rain jacket and checked that all of my notebooks and pens were in my bag. Then I double and triple checked, just to be sure. After that, I had no reason to stay in the safety of my car any longer.

_One, two, three, go. Don't think about what you're doing. Just_ do _it._

My hand was on the door handle and my feet on the wet gravel before I realized what I was doing. Just one step at a time. Whether it was an hour or just a minute until I reached the front office, I couldn't be sure. The cold had seeped in through my clothes and chilled my skin before I had made it halfway there. My hand automatically reached up to push my hair back as I made it to the double glass doors. It was already starting to frizz despite the hairspray. Warm air from inside washed over my face as I pulled the door open and stepped over the threshold. A middle aged secretary with horn-rimmed glasses looked up as I approached the counter.

"How can I help you?" she smiled gentle and my nervous immediately eased, but only slightly.

"Um...I'm a new student. Collins Walker. Just need to pick up my schedule."

"Oh! You're the new student from Alabama, aren't you? Let me see..." She clicked away at her computer and started typing. I glanced around the office in an attempt to distract my racing mind. The nameplate on the desk read _Ms. Hartfield._ Beside that, a Snoopy mug filled with pens, some of which I recognized as my favorites. Several pictures behind Ms. Hartfield's desk showcased a much younger version of the woman in front of me, along with whom I assumed to be her husband and kids. The sound of a whizzing printer drew my attention back to the whole reason I was here in the first place.

"Here's your schedule and a map to help you find your classes. If you have any trouble, one of the other students should be more than happy to help you, or you can come back here. There's usually an office aid with nothing better to do," she handed me the two pieces of paper, along with a school handbook. "Oh! I almost forgot."

I watched her rummage in a filing cabinet before producing another paper.

"Make sure to have each of your teachers sign this, and bring it back to me at the end of the day. Got all that?"

"Yes ma'am, I'll be sure to do that. Thank you," I gave her an appreciative smile and started back out the way I came.

"You're welcome. Your accent is just the cutest thing!"

* * *

_A. P. Calculus_

_Government_

_P.E._

_Lunch_

_Art_

_A.P. Anatomy/Physiology_

_A.P. English Lit._

Good Lord, what was I thinking, signing up for 3 AP classes? My old school didn't have the funding for AP courses, and now here I was, taking _three._

"It'll help you get ahead," I remembered Mom saying as we picked my classes over the break. Yeah, but I actually had to _pass_ for them to do me any good! And who puts Calculus at the beginning of the day? I'd definitely need to start drinking coffee on the regular.

Luckily, I was able to find the first room easily. Mr. Savrda, as he had introduced himself, signed my little slip of paper before letting me choose a desk. Really, any desk, considering no one else had arrived yet. Front of the room made you an easy target for questions, middle of the room put you in the thick of things, and the back said 'antisocial.' I took a desk in the second to last row, hoping that'd be a good spot. There was about fifteen minutes left until students usually arrived, so I went ahead and pulled out my math notebook, a good pen, and a few highlighters. I doodled outside the margins until some students started to trickle in. They all seemed to know each other, chatting as they took their desks around the room. A few of them looked at me for a couple seconds, a question in their eyes before turning back to their conversations. Apparently new students were easily noticeable. I snuck glances at each person that walked in: a girl with beautiful curly brown hair, some guys wearing football jerseys, a girl with rectangular framed glasses. _Please let at least one of these people like me_ , I thought as the room started to fill.

Right before the tardy bell rang, one more guy slipped smoothly through and took the desk nearest the door. He was exceptionally handsome and exceptionally pale. I'd gotten away with peeking at my other classmates, but this one almost immediately met my eyes.

_Oop, look away, look away._

I felt my cheeks flush as I tried to nonchalantly direct my attention to the front of the room, where Mr. Savrda had stood up and began approaching the dry erase board. Hopefully it didn't look like I had been staring because _I wasn't_

"Alright, settle down, settle down," Mr. Savrda addressed the chattering class and glanced directly at me. "Before we get started, I want to introduce a new student that transferred over the break from Alabama. If you'll look to the second to last row, you'll see Miss Collins Walker."

All the heads in the room turned towards me, as if they were in perfect sync. My already blushing cheeks were now on fire. I gave a wave and a small smile. Some smiled back, some seemed totally disinterested.

"Most of you guys have been in school together since kindergarten, so let's make sure to give Collins a warm welcome, okay?'

Almost everyone had stopped looking at me, though I still felt the weight of their stares. Before Mr. Savrda could begin writing on the board, the guy I had noticed earlier stood and whispered something to him. Mr. Savrda sighed and said something along the lines of 'this early?' and scribbled out something on a sticky note. The guy took the note and hurriedly exited the room. Weird. I didn't have much time to think about it as Mr. Savrda handed me a used textbook and started a lecture on integrals. Math wasn't necessarily my best subject; I definitely wouldn't want to teach it. But I had never been particularly bad at it either, as long as I took thorough notes and worked the problems enough, though it didn't come naturally like science or literature or even art.

He sure wasn't going to waste time on the first day either. Back in Andalusia, I had taken regular Calculus in a semester. Surely AP Calculus wouldn't be too different or difficult? I didn't want to find out. My hand flew across the page, making sure to jot down every word and example worked on the board. I vaguely remembered integrals from before Christmas break, but all of that information had kind of been forgotten while I stuffed myself full of mashed potatoes, buttery dinner rolls, ham, and enough dessert to last the rest of my life.

By the time the bell rang an hour later, I'd forgotten all about the weird kid from earlier, or the fact that he hadn't returned to class. My mind swirled with numbers and operations while still trying to figure out where my next class was. Ugh, Government. Don't get me wrong, I liked history classes well enough. But in my experience, they could be mind-numbingly boring.

_Building 5, building 5, which one is that again?_

I looked down at the map in my hands and tried to orient where exactly I was and where I needed to go. Why in the world weren't these buildings set up in order? It was like someone had drawn numbers out of a hat and randomly assigned them to the buildings. I thought building 5 was right beside the one I currently stood in, so I headed left down the hall and hoped I was right. Through the double glass doors, I saw a large blue number five against the red brick. Relief made it much easier to breathe, now that I could make it to class without being tardy.

Most of the desks were taken, so after another awkward introduction and collecting another worn out history text (both courtesy of a Miss Campbell), I snagged a seat in the back right corner by the window. At least she seemed to only want to review before diving into new material today. Mr. Savrda should take a leaf out of her book. After completing an intake quiz, we were free to chat and catch up with friends. I looked out of the window at the ever present grey clouds. It had stopped raining, but I was convinced the clouds never really went away. They were just taking a slight intermission.

A soft tap on my arm pulled my gaze back into the room and towards the girl sitting in front of me. She wore a pair of purple tortoise shell glasses, along with a timid smile.

"Hi, I'm Angela. It's Collins, right?"

"Yup, that's me," I returned the smile ten fold. I couldn't help it. Making friends in Forks had been an obstacle I'd foreseen the second we'd started packing the car. To be carrying on a conversation with someone on my first day was a blessing straight from the gloomy sky. "Signed, sealed, and delivered straight from Alabama."

Corny, I know, but at least it made her laughed.

"Awesome! We hardly ever get new students here. The last time was almost a year ago."

Wow, and I thought my school had been small.

"I can't imagine why. The weather here is to die for," I said sarcastically while gesturing towards the window. "No offense," I added in case the locals were defensive about their home. I sure could be about my hometown.

"None taken. Trust me, we don't actually like the weather here. We just tolerate it until our parents ship us out to colleges. It must have been difficult moving out here in the middle of your senior year, hm?"

"You've no idea," I couldn't hide the slight dryness in my voice. Not _easy_ , but doable.

"I can't imagine. You should sit with my friends and I at lunch. That's where the last new girl ended up too, so I'd say we're relatively welcome to the transplants," we both laughed at that, and I had to contain my smile so I wouldn't look like a total psychopath.

"Really? Thanks, I'm sure your friends are great."

"No problem. Just don't pay attention to the idiot guys that sit with us. Their bark is worse than their bite but...their bark is pretty bad."

The bell drowned out the sound of my awkward squawk of laughter. As we all gathered our books and backpacks, Angela sidled up next to me.

"Where's your next class? I can help you find it if I need to," she offered helpfully.

"I appreciate it, but I have P.E. next. If I can't find the gym, then I probably should just drop out at this point," I joked.

"Oh, yeah that shouldn't be too hard to find. My class is in the opposite direction anyway. Meet me at the cafeteria for lunch and I'll show you to our table!" She called the last sentence before being swept into a current of bustling students. I waved and turned around to fight the upstream battle.

* * *

Thanks to the fact that I hadn't any clothes to change into, Coach Garner let me sit out on the bleachers as the other girls dressed out and started up a rousing game of volleyball. I actually felt a little envious as the ball sailed over the net between the ragtag teams. I had played volleyball the last two years at my old school. We kind of sucked, but it was still a lot of fun. Now that the season was over, I itched to be on the court, setting the ball up for a hard spike. I would definitely remember my gym clothes tomorrow.

When the bell rang for lunch, I was the first person out of the gym and into the closest building. The cafeteria, much like the gym, should be easy enough to find. All I had to do was follow everyone else.

I must have beat Angela there, because she wasn't waiting for me by the doors to the lunchroom. I tried to casually prop myself against the wall as the rest of the students milled past, but casual wasn't my most refined trait. Quite a few people eyed me as they went in, though none said anything. I guess Angela was right, they really didn't get new students often. Finally, I noticed a girl with purple glasses coming toward me among the throng of hungry teenagers.

"Hey, there you are! Sorry it took me so long. Mr. Vesta likes to stretch his class as long as he possibly can," Angela rolled her eyes as we both entered the room. I crossed my arms over my chest and tried to ignore the people who suddenly found us more interesting than the pizza on their trays. I didn't particularly want salad, but was too chicken to leave Angela's side to go through the other line for a hot lunch.

"I'm sooo glad they revamped the salad bar. Last year's was just _pitiful."_ I watched her face scrunch up in disgust.

"Oh, my old school didn't even _have_ a salad bar."

"No way. Seriously?" she asked, her mouth just slightly hanging open. "What about vegetarian or vegan students?"

"Uh, I'm pretty sure they had almond butter and honey sandwiches," I thought back to when Bethany had decided to try veganism. It didn't last past the end of the day, when she snagged a chicken finger basket from Dairy Queen on our way home.

"Well, I guess that's one good thing about school here then."

I followed Angela to a table that was nearly full; only one empty seat remained. Surprisingly, I knew one of the girls sitting almost directly across from me.

"You sit. I'll grab another chair."

I turned to protest, but she had already walked to another table to ask about borrowing a chair. Six other people were now starring at me as I sat down. The lunchroom suddenly felt much warmer under the weight of their stares. I didn't know what to say, but luckily, I didn't have to. The girl to my right scooched herself closer and immediately fired off a few questions.

"So where are you from? How long have you been in town? Why'd you move out here?"

I scarcely had time to open my mouth and process what she was saying before Angela returned and ran interference.

"Cool it with the 20 questions, Jess. She literally just sat down."

The girl, I suppose her name was Jess or something similar, just rolled her eyes and eased back a bit, but still stayed close enough like she might miss something. I'd never met someone who seemed so interested in what I had to say.

"Everybody, this is Collins. Collins, this is everybody. That's Jessica," she motioned to the girl beside me, "then Mike," a guy with a round boyish face and blonde hair, "this is Eric, my boyfriend," he waved enthusiastically from the other side of Angela, and I waved back. "And then that's Bella Swan and Edward and Alice Cullen."

_Cullen. So this is the guy Cara had mentioned. Not what I expected at all. Since when do the hot guys get the "weird" label?_

"It's nice to meet ya'll. And it's nice to see you again, Bella," I addressed her, though the last time we'd been face to face, it hadn't been much of an interaction.

"Nice to see you, too," she replied kindly. I let my eyes roam over each person and tried to commit their names to memory. _Mike, Jessica, Eric._

There was absolutely no way that I could forget the other three. Bella because it was the second time seeing her. But the Cullens because I didn't think I had ever seen anyone quite like them. Their skin was pale, so pale that I almost thought their was something wrong with them; anemic, maybe. Despite that, they were unusually attractive. Not in a trendy way, but more like models. Their faces were perfectly symmetrical, each feature straight and precise. No crooked noses or teeth. It was like God had carved their faces himself. I tried not to look at them too long, certain that I wasn't the only person who had noticed how beautiful they were.

"Oh good, you've already met Bella. Is Jasper out today?" Angela asked Alice, a look of genuine concern crossing her face.

"Oh, he left during first period; I think he had a migraine. You know how he has trouble with those," she chirped. Even her voice sounded pretty. Suddenly I wished I'd put a lot more effort into my appearance this morning, though I thought I already did. I vaguely wondered if Jasper was the guy in my Calculus class that had left before the lesson even started. "So Collins, tell us about yourself. Where are you from?"

I felt even more flustered than before, having a freaking goddess address a peasant like myself. Edward laughed, I'm guessing from something Bella had mumbled to him because I hadn't heard anything particularly funny.

"I just moved here from Alabama a few days ago. My dad got a promotion in France, so he and my momma went out there, and now I live with my sister."

"Oh, I love your accent! It's so country sounding," Jessica gushed from my right. And so it begins. I slowly chewed a piece of carrot and grinned, feeling my face heat up at her comment. There was no hiding my accent even if I tried. Eighteen years of southern living can sure do that to a person.

"How've you been liking Forks? Have you seen all the sights, like the diner and traffic light beside it?" Mike elbowed Bella lightly at his joke.

"Uh, for the most part yeah. My sister gave me the grand tour on Friday."

And so, that's how the rest of lunch went; everyone taking turns asking me questions and then discussing my answers like I was a guest lecturer or something. I wasn't used to being the center of attention at the lunch table, but it felt nice to have people listen to what I had to say, even if it was mundane. Edward and Bella both kept to themselves for the most part, but Alice talked ninety to nothing about everything under the sun, from sports to fashion.

"Which class do you have next?" Mike asked as the bell rang to signal the end of lunch. I noticed Jessica slowing down as we walked towards the set of doors connecting to the hall.

"Um, I think I have art," I said while shuffling around in my bag for my schedule. Yup, art.

"Oh cool. I can show you right where-"

"I'll walk you!" An arm as solid as stone looped around my own and began lightly tugging me in the direction of what I presumed to be art. If I hadn't heard the distinct bell-like voice of Alice Cullen, I could've sworn that it was a guy, what with the force that she could exert. Mike's face fell into disappointment, but there was nothing I could do. Alice would not be swayed.

"I actually have that next too, so it works out perfectly."

I'm not sure if I'd ever met someone so jubilant. I couldn't get a read on her without touching the skin of her hand, and there wasn't exactly an inconspicuous way to do that at the moment. Though what was the point? I'd probably find nothing but pure happiness.

On the way to art, Alice talked animatedly about her brother, Jasper. Adopted brother, might I add, and how she couldn't wait for us to meet because she thought we would have a lot in common. I wasn't sure what exactly we would have in common, but she insisted we'd get along well. I wouldn't be convinced until I actually had a chance to meet him, when and if that happened.

Art was one of my favorite subjects, mostly since it didn't require any studying. Well, for the most part. Art History in ninth grade had been a little less exciting, but now that I had made it to Drawing II, there wouldn't be much to do but, well, draw. I wasn't necessarily great at it, though I'd definitely improved since last year. Compared to Alice, I might as well have thrown my pencils away. She insisted on sharing a table, which I didn't mind too much. That is, until, I saw how good she was. It was a little discouraging to see how effortless her hand drifted across the textured paper, adding a little shading her or erasing there for highlights. I reminded myself that just because she was great didn't mean my picture was worthless. But that only worked up to a certain level of talent. I wasn't there yet.

After art, I had anatomy and English literature, two of my better subject. It seemed like I had waited forever to take pick back up in anatomy; I was sick of chemistry and physics. Mercifully, both of my teachers didn't make me introduce myself and decided to take things easy on the first day back. In anatomy, we went over lab safety procedures, and for literature, we discussed some of the works we would be studying this semester.

By the time I got home that afternoon, all I wanted to do was climb into my bed and nap. So I did.

**Author's Note:**

> Really never thought that I'd be writing Twilight fanfiction but here I am, writing it. Just a little idea I couldn't get out of my head. Writing is just a little hobby of mine, so I don't take it as seriously as some but I do appreciate feedback, and I try to write my chapters as well as I can.
> 
> Enjoy :)


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